Texans DE Watt honored as top defensive player

New Orleans, LA (Sports Network) - Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt has been honored as the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year Saturday, as voted by the Associated Press.

Watt is the first Texans player to get a league-wide honor. Additionally, he's the first defensive lineman to capture the award since Miami's Jason Taylor won it in 2006.

Watt led the NFL with 20 1/2 sacks this past season and he also knocked down 16 pass attempts, which are the most in NFL history by a defensive lineman. In addition to those stats, Watt paced the Texans with 107 tackles, including 39 for loss.